1959 Song Hits by Roger Lee Hall There are movie critics and fans who say that 1939 was the peak year for great Hollywood films. And that's true. Well, I believe 1959 was one of the peak years for popular songs, because it was the end of a decade when a great deal of change had taken place in the pop music world. There was the growing popularity of R&B and Rock n' Roll music. Also, there was a broadening of music categories on records, radio, movies and television.

Just consider these different categories: Broadway tunes: "Everything's Coming Up Roses" from GYPSY Country & Western songs: "The Battle of New Orleans" (21st best seller of 1950s) Easy Listening: "Mack the Knife" (the 5th best selling record of the 1950s) Ethnic/ Latino: "La Bamba" Movie songs: "High Hopes" from A HOLE IN THE HEAD (Oscar winning song) Patriotic: "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" (only hit for Mormon Tabernacle Choir) Rhythm & Blues: "Stagger Lee" Rock n' Roll: "A Big Hunk O' Love" (another No. 1 hit for Elvis Presley) This was also the year when three Rock n' Roll legends died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959: J.P. (The Big Bopper) Richardson, Richie Valens, and Buddy Holly. And it was the year that Elvis returned from his Army service in Germany and kept his hit records rolling along. 1959 was the year when the first Rock guitar instrumental ("Sleep Walk") reached No. 1 on the charts.

And it was year of scandal when New York disc jockey, Alan Freed, was brought to trial for taking money for promoting records in the so-called "Payola Scandal." Other disc jockeys were also fined, like Peter Tripp from WMGM in New York, who pioneered the Top 40 format. So look at this list and see how many you know from these... 50 Song Hits from 1959 All My Tomorrows -- Frank Sinatra Along Came Jones -- The Coasters +The Battle of New Orleans -- Johnny Horton The Best is Yet to Come -- Tony Bennett +A Big Hunk O' Love -- Elvis Presley +The Big Hurt -- Miss Toni Fisher Charlie Brown -- The Coasters Climb Ev'ry Mountain -- Patricia Neway from THE SOUND OF MUSIC +Come Softly To Me -- The Fleetwoods +Donna -- Ritchie Valens +Don't You Know -- Della Reese +Dream Lover -- Bobby Darin +The Happy Organ -- Dave "Baby" Cortez +Heartaches By The Number -- Guy Mitchell High Hopes -- Frank Sinatra It Doean't Matter Anymore -- Buddy Holly +It's Just A Matter of Time -- Brook Benton +Kansas City -- Wilbur Harrison No.

1 Songs from 1959 Arranged by number of weeks at No. 1 and alphaebtical titles for tied weeks (according to The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn) Mack The Knife -- Bobby Darin (9 weeks at #1) The Battle Of New Orleans -- Johnny Horton (6 weeks at #1) Venus -- Frankie Avalon (5 weeks at #1) Come Softly To Me -- The Fleetwoods (4 weeks at #1) Lonely Boy -- Paul Anka (4 weeks at #1) Stagger Lee -- Lloyd Price (4 weeks at #1) The Three Bells -- The Browns (4 weeks at #1) Smoke Gets In Your Eyes -- The Platters (3 weeks at #1) A Big Hunk Of Love -- Elvis Presley (2 weeks at #1) Heartaches By The Number -- Guy Mitchell (2 weeks at #1) Kansas City -- Wilbert Harrison (2 weeks at #1) Sleep Walk -- Santo & Johnny (2 weeks at #1) The Happy Organ -- Dave "Baby" Cortez (1 week at #) Mr.

Blue -- The Fleetwoods (1 weeks at #1) Why -- Frankie Avalaon (1 week at #1) Ten Top Albums from 1959 KIND OF BLUE -- Miles Davis (No. 3) GUNFIGHTER BALLADS AND TRAIL SONGS -- Marty Robbins (No. 6) HEAVENLY -- Johnny Mathis (No. 7) TIME OUT -- The Dave Brubeck Quartet (No. 10) THE SOUND OF MUSIC -- Broadway Cast (No. 17) AT LARGE -- The Kingston Trio (No. 18) THE MUSIC OF PETER GUNN -- Henry Mancini (No. 19) HERE WE GO AGAIN! -- The Kingston trio (No. 22) THE LORD'S PRAYER -- The Mormon Tabernacle Choir (No. 29) COME DANCE WITH ME! -- Frank Sinatra (No. 35) -- Source: 100 Best-Selling Albums of the 50s by Charlotte Greig Top Pop Hits of 1959 1. Mack The Knife - Bobby Darin 2. Battle of New Orleans - Johnny Horton 3. Venus - Frankie Avalon 4.

Come Softly To Me - The Fleetwoods 5. Personality - Lloyd Price 6. Stagger Lee - Lloyd Price 7. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - The Platters 8. The Three Bells - The Browns 9. El Paso - Marty Robbins 10. Sleep Walk - Santo & Johnny 11. Heartaches By the Number - Guy Mitchell 12. Mr. Blue - The Fleetwoods 13. There Goes My Baby - The Drifters 14. I Only Have Eyes for You - The Flamingoes 15. High Hopes - Frank Sinatra 16. Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison 17. What I'd Say - Ray Charles 18. Put Your Head on My Shoulder - Paul Anka 19. A Fool Such as I - Elvis Presley 20. The Happy Organ - Dave "Baby" Cortez 21. Dream Lover - Bobby Darin 22. Lonely Boy - Paul Anka 23. Misty - Johnny Mathis 24. Pillow Talk - Doris Day 25. Sea of Love - Phil Phillips 26.

It's Just a Matter of Time - Brook Benton 27. Since I Don't Have You" - The Skyliners 28. Lipstick on Your Collar - Connie Francis 29. Only Sixteen - Sam Cooke 30. Lavender Blue - Sammy Turner 31. Waterloo - Stonewall Jackson 32. Never Be Anyone Else But You - Ricky Nelson 33. Oh Carol - Neil Sedaka 34. What a Difference a Day Makes - Dinah Washington 35. 'Til I Kissed You - The Everly Brothers Considering that the top 10 hits listed on the chart above were indeed, pretty much the actual top 10 of the year, the natural question is, "what happened to rock and roll?" Well, a few things. As 1959 dawned, Elvis was in the Army, and RCA was releasing schmaltzy, second rate recordings to meet demand. Jerry Lee Lewis was tainted by a personal scandal and even more gone than Elvis. Top DJ Alan Freed was smeared by a payola scandal.

Then in February, Buddy Holly, the man who was now carrying the torch for rock and roll, died in a plane crash. Ritchie Valens, who had almost matched Holly hit-for-hit, and the Big Bopper -- a star in his own right -- were also killed on the plane. And near the end of 1959, as if to add a nice coda, rocker Chuck Berry was tossed into jail for transporting a 14 year old girl across state lines for immoral purposes. As far as rock and roll was concerned, the music more or less died...at least for now. Artists like Bobby Darin and The Coasters were now the face of rock and roll. Unfortunately for rock and roll, neither were true rockers. And as a result, a sort of mish-mash of pop and light rock and roll would rule the charts until the British invasion. Critics have long stated that the years from 1959-1963 were sort of do-nothing years for American music, that music was in the doldrums until the Beatles came along. PopularSong.org, however, takes a different position.

Examine instead the quality of the songs, rather than focusing on the supposed "blandness" of the artists, and history should judge these years as yet another golden age in the songbook of American Pop Standards. Does it matter that Battle of New Orleans wasn't sung by Bing Crosby, or written by Irving Berlin? It certainly could've been. Continuing in the country/western mode, what if Waterloo had been sung by Frankie Laine in 1949 instead of Stonewall Jackson in 1959? It would be regarded as one of the all-time standards -- and it probably wouldn't sound much different! The point is that the definition of American Popular Song must include all pop standards that fit the sound, and not just the songs written by certain songwriters or written in a certain time or place. Think for a moment if the Mills Brothers sang Charlie Brown instead of Glow Worm in 1952. It wouldn't have as much rock and roll influence in the accompaniment, but the vocals could easily have been arranged the exact same way. continues above, in column at right...

featured performance The Browns, fronted by Jim Ed Brown, with a Grand Ol' Opry performance of "The Three Bells" some 30 years after their smash hit. Please note that you have to double-click the little arrow to get the player to work. Top Pop Hits of 1959, continued from column at left In the spirit of American Popular Song, those that are true to the format get higher ranking on this list than those that stray into rock and roll. Charlie Brown would rank number 6 on this list if it were purely based on sales and charts. Another factor that PopularSong.org considers is lasting popularity, whether that popularity be continuous or new. For example, if a future hit movie features Happy Organ in the soundtrack, and that song enjoys a surge in popularity, it will probably rise on this chart. With that in mind, all of these charts are reviewed by PopularSong.org staff every 6-8 months. Lasting popularity is another key factor to where these songs rank. Paul Anka's Lonely Boy was a much bigger hit in 1959; it reached the top spot and stayed there for a month.

But over the years, Put Your Head on My Shoulder has become better known and more of a "standard," so it ranks higher on the list. Country Influence Interesting to note that as rock and roll swooned in 1959, country music had a remarkable surge in popularity. Check that...country music with a popular sound had a remarkable surge. But think back to the 1940s and the early 1950s: Had White Sport Coat, Battle of New Orleans, El Paso, The Three Bells and Waterloo been released at that time, they would've quickly been covered by Bing Crosby, Dick Haymes, Frankie Laine, etc. and would be thought of as any other standard from the era. One of the key influences of the rock and roll era was that young people -- and all listeners for that matter -- were now demanding "original" recordings, regardless of how raw they might seem. The 30 second samples on these pages are provided as part of links to Amazon.com for evaluation purposes only. spotlight album If you're looking to add Johnny Mathis to your collection, the most sensible album to start with is 16 Most Requested Songs .

It's a terrific CD at an excellent price, and yes, it includes the songs you simply must have, like Wonderful, Wonderful; When Sunny Gets Blue; Twelfth of Never; Chances Are; It's Not for Me to Say and 11 others. It even gets into some of Johnny's 70s and 80s hits -- really a complete record, and the best thing about it is how well the 1950s recordings hold up to those made 30 years later. It's wonderful, wonderful! This link leads to Amazon.com, where they often have a "used" copy available -- fully guaranteed, just like a new CD. And best of all, Amazon is trusted and they have an excellent return policy if you aren't completely satisfied. You can look at this CD and listen to some selections by clicking here also recommended Arguably the most important voice in American Popular Song in 1959 was Bobby Darin. Although he started out as a rock and roller, his true passion was singing, and the songs he was passionate about were standards.

There have been a lot of books written about Darin, but certainly none as important as Dream Lovers: The Magnificent Shattered Lives of Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee - by Their Son Dodd Darin . It's something of a tell-all, but not in the vile sort of way typical of many children of celebrities. On the other hand, it was written from a loving point of view, but is certainly not so reverential that it becomes a hagiography. It's simply Dodd Darin trying to preserve his parents' story, and the book is excellent, perhaps one of the most important memoirs of pop music from the early 1960s. It's a pricey book, but this link goes to Amazon.com, where you can get sound used or returned copies for just a couple of bucks, all fully guaranteed by Amazon. If you're interested in hearing more, please click here . Bobby Darin Sammy Davis Jr. called him the one performer he refused to follow onstage. He was just too damn good. Bobby Darin utilized more talents in his brief career than Elvis had scarves. He was a performer, a songwriter ("Dream Lover"), music publisher, Academy Award-nominated actor.

He played drums, piano, harmonica, guitar. He told jokes, did good impressions, danced, and of course sang. He sang rock, country, blues, r&b, folk, and pop standards. He's a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but his story is all the more amazing when you learn about his unusual life. He was born Walden Robert Cossoto in 1936 in the Bronx, never quite sure who his father was. His destiny was marked as early as age 8, when he contracted rheumatic fever, an infection that attacks the heart muscle. He heard the doctors tell his parents that he probably wouldn't live to be 16. He went to the Bronx High School of Science, and decided his ticket out of the Bronx was to be an actor. As rock 'n roll was coming in, he decided music was his best shot at stardom. Legend has it that he took has stage name from the a partly-burned out sign of a Mandarin restaurant. He eventually got signed by Decca, but nothing he released went anywhere. He recorded "Rock Island Line," not the right material for him, and got to perform it on TV on the Dorsey Brothers show.

He wrote key lyrics on his palm, but sweated them off as he sang. Bobby became friends with Manhattan DJ Murray Kaufman ("Murray the K"), who challenged Bobby to write a song to a title that his mom suggested. That night he finished writing "Splish Splash," and it was a smash hit. He performed it on "American Bandstand," and became a close friends of Dick Clark. A string of hits for the Atco label followed, including "Queen of the Hop" and the more adult "'Dream Lover." Darin had become a "teen idol," but he wasn't satisfied. He considered rock 'n roll and fad, and really wanted the respect of being an all-around performer, like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., that could play nightclubs and get a more adult audience. In 1958 he had seen a Greenwich Village production of "The Threepenny Opera," and one song stood out in his mind: "Mack the Knife." Louis Armstrong had recorded it, so he added it to his nightclub act as kind of a throwaway, but it didn't go anywhere.

Atco still owed him some royalties, so he booked a session to record an album only of pop standards, including "Mack the Knife," with swinging arrangements and his brash, over-the-top style. Many of the friends, like Dick Clark, told him he was nuts to screw up a hot rock 'n roll career. It became his only #1 record and still today is a lounge classic. Atco president Ahmet Ertegun said, "As we were cutting 'Mack the Knife' on the first date, there was no doubt in anybody's mind. Everyone knew that this was going to be a number one record. Then I realized that having done the rock thing, Bobby was now going to have a major pop hit." He also recorded "Beyond the Sea" in the same session. Around the same time, George Burns was going into the Sahara Hotel to play his first engagement without Gracie, who had retired. Bobby's agent got him to hear "Splish Splash" and he took him to Vegas. They broke in the act a few weeks in Lake Tahoe, then opened up at the Sahara. After Bobby did some numbers, Burns came out and they did a soft shoe number, and their chemistry together was a big hit.

He headlined the Sands on his own, at 23 the youngest performer ever to headline a Vegas showroom. He didn't do that well, though, and several weeks later rejoined George Burns at the Sahara. He became a mainstay at the Copacabana nightclub in New York, and recorded a live album there. That year, he won the Grammy for Best New Artist and Best Record for "Mack the Knife." Darin really cut his eye teeth as a performer at the Copacabana, where he was a headline perfomer. His sister Vee remembers, "When he played the Copacabana, the gangsters would come there on a Saturday night with their girlfriends. Sunday night was the night they took their wives. And Sunday night performances were off-the-wall, they were so good, because Bobby had to make those people stand up and cheer. He had a cold audience. They'd already seen the show the night before. It became his obsession to make sure they got more than they paid for, that they stood up and screamed. And they did. He did that. That's who he was from the time we were little.

(from Dream Lovers by Dodd Darin) Darin was a bona fide star, now, and began guesting on TV shows - Perry Como, Judy Garland, Dick Clark, and Jimmy Durante, among others. He also developed a reputation for cockiness, and was quoted by UPI saying that "he hoped to surpass Frank Sinatra in everything he does." Frank wasn't pleased. "Bobby Darin does my prom dates," he said. Hollywood came beckoning, and he signed to co-star in "Come September." His co-star would be teen sensation Sandra Dee, and they were shortly married. He was in a string of movies throughout the early 60s, and received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for "Captain Newman, M.D." with Gregory Peck. At same time Sinatra had left Capitol Records to start his own Reprise label, so Capitol signed Darin as the Sinatra heir apparent, and hired Billy May to do many of the arrangements for Darin's first sessions with the label. In the 60s he would headline at the Sands, the Cocoanut Grove in LA, and at The Flamingo, where he set an attendance record. His goal was to be the quintessential American performer that could do it all.

By 1963 Darin had his own music publishing company and he was looking for talent. One night in New York he spotted a young performer, part of a trio, named Wayne Newton, and decided to take him under his wing. When a producer brought Bobby a sure-fire hit called "Danke Schoen," he decided he was too busy with his business and he gave it to Wayne. "Bobby was a big brother to me. I loved him and I always will," says Wayne. That’s Wayne and Bobby together in the photo. Darin was politically active, which was unusual for performers at the time, and it was not unusual for Darin to introduce Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the audience at one of his shows. But the upheaval in the 60s, along with some personal problems, would also turn Darin's life upside down. Darin was by this time divorced, and was deeply affected when he learned that the woman he always thought of as his sister was really his biological mother. He was a close friend and supporter of Robert Kennedy, and was devastated when a gunman ended his life in 1968. Dick Clark said that he was never the same.

In the late 60s the times were also changing, and suddenly, tuxedo, "Mack the Knife" and slick nightclub moves seemed irrelevant. Drugs, hard rock, and political unrest were now the norm. A cynic may say that Bobby changed his music for career reasons, but truthfully he had changed and the music didn't reflect him anymore. He had a hit in 1966 with Tim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter" and began recording protesting songs in the Bob Dylan style. He grew a moustache and sideburns, replaced his tuxedo with denim, and spent a year living out of a trailer in Big Sur. In 1969 the Sahara offered him 2 weeks, and he took it. This time he was Bob Darin, without his toupee and wearing jeans, and did mostly protest songs with political commentary. Someone requested "Mack the Knife," but he turned it down. Part of the audience walked out in the middle of the show. The Landmark came through with an offer; this time his denim was tailored and put a bigger band behind him.

When Wayne Newton found out he had no bookings, he called in a favor and got Bobby booked into the Desert Inn. This time he put the tuxedo back on, but put a well-rounded show together that reflected both sides of his identity. He did "Mack" and "Splish Splash," but also did material by Laura Nyro, James Taylor, the Beatles and Bob Dylan. The reviews were good the crowds gave a standing ovation, and Motown released a live album of the show. While Darin's career was healthy again, his heart was not. Through most of the 60s Bobby would have oxygen offstage, and now underwent open heart surgery to replace damaged heart valves. The operation was a success, and in 1972 NBC hired him as the summer replacement for the Dean Martin Show, called the "Bobby Darin Amusement Company," perhaps the only entertainment show ever to feature a chess problem every week! His show was the only summer series that picked up on the fall schedule, and while the ratings were good NBC cancelled the show later that year. That year he also picked up a blood infection that affected his heart. He lost his battle on December 20, 1973.

It's been 25 years since Darin last performed, but his popularity shows no signs on waning. Barry Levinson is interested in filming the movie of his life, and Kevin Spacey would dearly love to play him (Darin's music was prominently featured in "American Beauty."). A documentary on PBS last season "Bobby Darin - Beyond the Song" was a success, and the bins in record stores are always well stocked of Darin CDs. 50sPopMusic.com 50sPopMusic.com 1950s EASY-POP Songs and Singers...on the verge of Rock 'n Roll Bobby Darin (born May 14, 1936) Famous EASY-POP hit single during the 50s: Dream Lover 1959 Bobbie Darin also had hits with Splish Splash in 1958, Mack the Knife in 1959, and Clementine and Beyond the Sea in 1960. Recording career with hits on the charts: 1958-1973 Record Label: Atco Versatile vocalist Bobby Darin was born Walden Robert Cassotto in New York City.

He went to Bronx High School of Science and received a scholarship to Hunter College. He began to write songs and taught himself to play the piano. He found fame at Atco Records in 1958 with his first hit records Splish Splash and Dream Lover, both of which he composed. Late in 1958, Bobby Darin recorded the album �That�s All� an LP of standards that contained his signature song Mack the Knife, which won the 1959 �Record of the Year� and won Bobby Darin the �Best New Artist� Grammy. Mack the Knife is one of the biggest selling records in history. He married actress Sandra Dee in 1960 and in 1963, received an Oscar nomination for his role as a drugged hospital patient in �Captain Newman, MD.� His life was cut short in 1973 when, following his second open-heart surgery, he died at the young age of 37.

Bobby Darin's Best Bobby Darin | New Music And Songs | Bobby Darin About Bobby Darin There's been considerable discussion about whether Bobby Darin should be classified as a rock & roll singer, a Vegas hipster cat, an interpreter of popular standards, or even a folk-rocker. He was all of these and none of these. Throughout his career he made a point of not becoming committed to any one style at the exclusion of others; at the height of his nightclub fame he incorporated a folk set into his act. When it appeared he could have gone on indefinitely as a sort of junior version of Frank Sinatra, he would periodically record pop/rock and folk-rock singles whose principal appeal lay outside of the adult pop market. At one point he started calling himself Bob Darin and recorded songs with vague anti-establishment overtones that could be said to be biting the largely bourgeois hands that fed his highest-paying gigs. It may be most accurate to say that Darin was, above all, a singer who wanted to do a lot of things, rather than make his mark as a particular stylist.

That may have cost him some points as far as making it to the very top of certain genres, but it also makes his work more versatile than almost any other vocalist of his era. When Darin had his first hits in the late '50s, he was a teen idol of sorts, albeit a teen idol with much more talent and mature command than the typical singer in that style. The novelty-tinged "Splish Splash" was his breakthrough smash, followed by "Queen of the Hop" and the ballad "Dream Lover." There was a slight R&B feel to Darin's delivery that may well have influenced R&B-pop/rock singers such as Dion, though it would be an exaggeration to call Darin a blue-eyed soul man. In late 1959, he found a new direction when the swinging "Mack the Knife," a tune from Brecht-Weill's musicalThreepenny Opera, made number one. The song came from an album of pop standards, heralding his move toward light big-band jazz, which was consolidated by the Top Ten success of "Beyond the Sea" in 1960.

In the early '60s, Darin had mostly abandoned rock for the adult pop market, becoming a huge success on the Vegas-nightclub circuit, and moving into the all-around entertainer mode with starring roles in movies (including one as a non-singing jazz musician in John Cassavetes' Too Young Blues). He also continued to score regular hits with the likes of "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," "Things," and "Lazy River." To keep people guessing, there was also a hit cover of "What'd I Say" and some country tunes (one of which, "You're the Reason I'm Living," made it to number three on the pop charts). Around 1963, he put a folk section into his nightclub act that employed guitarist Roger McGuinn, who was then a couple of years away from fame as the leader of the Byrds. Darin didn't make the expected retreat into Rat Pack land when his records stopped making the upper reaches of the charts in the mid-'60s. In 1965, there was a rather nice self-penned jangly folk-rocker, "When I Get Home," that become a British hit for the Searchers.

Another 1965 flop, "We Didn't Ask to Be Brought Here," was an unexpected antiwar tune. When he made his return to the Top Ten in late 1966, it was with a cover of a gentle Tim Hardin folk-rock song, "If I Were a Carpenter." His final Top 40 hit the following year, "Lovin' You," opted for material by another major folk-rock composer, John Sebastian. Darin may indeed have been far hipper and more politically aware than the average nightclub act, covering tunes by Dylan and the Rolling Stones, participating in a 1965 civil rights march to Alabama, and penning some Dylan-influenced songs of his own in the late '60s. It doesn't seem accurate to say that this was the true Bobby Darin, shedding his show biz skin for something that came to him more naturally; in 1967, the same year he covered Jagger-Richards' "Back Street Girl," he also recorded material for an album titled Bobby Darin Sings Doctor Dolittle.

By the early '70s he was working Vegas and similar joints again, exchanging his blue jeans for a tuxedo, and hosting a TV variety series. In a much odder turn of events, began recording for Motown, though these efforts met little success. Afflicted with a rheumatic heart, Darin was always aware that his time might be limited, and he died near the end of 1973 during open-heart surgery. He left behind a considerable quantity (and diversity) of recorded work, and underwent a critical reevaluation of sorts, especially among rock critics, which might have aided his election to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. A 1996 four-CD box set, divided into thematic discs, attempted to put his wide-ranging efforts into perspective. In 2004, actor Kevin Spacey starred as Bobby Darin in the feature film biography Beyond the Sea. Spacey also directed and sang Darin's songs for the film, which were released as the film's soundtrack.

Beyond the Sea may have been the splashiest celebration of Darin's legacy, but the singer never receded from the pop culture spotlight, as his music continued to appear in films and see reissues, including the 2016 compilation Another Song on My Mind, which shined a spotlight on his underappreciated Motown work from the early '70s. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi Hear more of Bobby Darin on Apple Music To preview a song, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to buy and download music. Biography There's been considerable discussion about whether Bobby Darin should be classified as a rock & roll singer, a Vegas hipster cat, an interpreter of popular standards, or even a folk-rocker. He was all of these and none of these. Throughout his career he made a point of not becoming committed to any one style at the exclusion of others; at the height of his nightclub fame he incorporated a folk set into his act. When it appeared he could have gone on indefinitely as a sort of junior version of Frank Sinatra, he would periodically record pop/rock and folk-rock singles whose principal appeal lay outside of the adult pop market.

At one point he started calling himself Bob Darin and recorded songs with vague anti-establishment overtones that could be said to be biting the largely bourgeois hands that fed his highest-paying gigs. It may be most accurate to say that Darin was, above all, a singer who wanted to do a lot of things, rather than make his mark as a particular stylist. That may have cost him some points as far as making it to the very top of certain genres, but it also makes his work more versatile than almost any other vocalist of his era. When Darin had his first hits in the late '50s, he was a teen idol of sorts, albeit a teen idol with much more talent and mature command than the typical singer in that style. The novelty-tinged "Splish Splash" was his breakthrough smash, followed by "Queen of the Hop" and the ballad "Dream Lover." There was a slight R&B feel to Darin's delivery that may well have influenced R&B-pop/rock singers such as Dion, though it would be an exaggeration to call Darin a blue-eyed soul man.

In late 1959, he found a new direction when the swinging "Mack the Knife," a tune from Brecht-Weill's musicalThreepenny Opera, made number one. The song came from an album of pop standards, heralding his move toward light big-band jazz, which was consolidated by the Top Ten success of "Beyond the Sea" in 1960. In the early '60s, Darin had mostly abandoned rock for the adult pop market, becoming a huge success on the Vegas-nightclub circuit, and moving into the all-around entertainer mode with starring roles in movies (including one as a non-singing jazz musician in John Cassavetes' Too Young Blues). He also continued to score regular hits with the likes of "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," "Things," and "Lazy River." To keep people guessing, there was also a hit cover of "What'd I Say" and some country tunes (one of which, "You're the Reason I'm Living," made it to number three on the pop charts).

Around 1963, he put a folk section into his nightclub act that employed guitarist Roger McGuinn, who was then a couple of years away from fame as the leader of the Byrds. Darin didn't make the expected retreat into Rat Pack land when his records stopped making the upper reaches of the charts in the mid-'60s. In 1965, there was a rather nice self-penned jangly folk-rocker, "When I Get Home," that become a British hit for the Searchers. Another 1965 flop, "We Didn't Ask to Be Brought Here," was an unexpected antiwar tune. When he made his return to the Top Ten in late 1966, it was with a cover of a gentle Tim Hardin folk-rock song, "If I Were a Carpenter." His final Top 40 hit the following year, "Lovin' You," opted for material by another major folk-rock composer, John Sebastian.

Darin may indeed have been far hipper and more politically aware than the average nightclub act, covering tunes by Dylan and the Rolling Stones, participating in a 1965 civil rights march to Alabama, and penning some Dylan-influenced songs of his own in the late '60s. It doesn't seem accurate to say that this was the true Bobby Darin, shedding his show biz skin for something that came to him more naturally; in 1967, the same year he covered Jagger-Richards' "Back Street Girl," he also recorded material for an album titled Bobby Darin Sings Doctor Dolittle. By the early '70s he was working Vegas and similar joints again, exchanging his blue jeans for a tuxedo, and hosting a TV variety series. In a much odder turn of events, began recording for Motown, though these efforts met little success. Afflicted with a rheumatic heart, Darin was always aware that his time might be limited, and he died near the end of 1973 during open-heart surgery.

He left behind a considerable quantity (and diversity) of recorded work, and underwent a critical reevaluation of sorts, especially among rock critics, which might have aided his election to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. A 1996 four-CD box set, divided into thematic discs, attempted to put his wide-ranging efforts into perspective. In 2004, actor Kevin Spacey starred as Bobby Darin in the feature film biography Beyond the Sea. Spacey also directed and sang Darin's songs for the film, which were released as the film's soundtrack. Beyond the Sea may have been the splashiest celebration of Darin's legacy, but the singer never receded from the pop culture spotlight, as his music continued to appear in films and see reissues, including the 2016 compilation Another Song on My Mind, which shined a spotlight on his underappreciated Motown work from the early '70s.

~ Richie Unterberger Top Albums Bobby Darin - Flashback With Bobby Darin - Amazon.com Music Flashback With Bobby Darin Audio CD, February 14, 2012 "Please retry" $7.79 Free Shipping for Prime Members | Fast, FREE Shipping with Amazon Prime Only 1 left in stock (more on the way). Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available. Editorial Reviews 10 track package features many of the biggest hits Darin had in the 50's and 60's including "Beyond the Sea" and the Number 1 hits "Mack the Knife" and "Dream Lover." Track Listings 1. Dream Lover (2006 Remastered LP Version) 2. Queen Of The Hop (2006 Remastered LP Version) 3. Mack The Knife (2006 Remastered Edit Version) 4. Beyond The Sea (2006 Remastered LP Version) 5. Splish Splash (2006 Remastered LP Version) 6. Things (2006 Remastered LP Version) 7. Artificial Flowers (2006 Remastered LP Version) 8.

Lazy River (2006 Remastered LP Version) 9. You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby (2006 Remastered LP Version) 10. Multiplication (2006 Remastered LP Version) Product Details Audio CD (February 14, 2012) Number of Discs: 1 Write a customer review Top Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars Bobby Darin's "Dream Lover" Is One Of The All-Time Classic Songs Of Our Lifetime! By My Opinion on May 13, 2012 This CD was just issued in February of this year (2012)! No wonder There has not been any prior Reviews Typed on it so I'll be the first. The very first time I heard "Dream Lover" (when it was a new song & a #2 Pop Hit in 1959): I became an Instant Fan of Bobby Darin! I also enjoy "Mack The Knife"(#1 in 1959), "Things"(#3 in 1962) and "Splish Splash" (#3 in 1958). The entire CD is pleasant to listen to though.

Bobby had several Top 40 Hits! This Budget Compact Disc is a decent sampling of one of the Pioneers of Rock And Roll and the Sound Quality is very good.....but then it usually is with Rhino. My two biggest complaints here are: at Ten Songs: It's all to brief and other than the Song Listing: there are no Liner Notes at all. We are talking about Bobby Darin here Folks: so there should have been at least a little Biography on this Iconic 1950s-60s Artist but if you are only wanting the Ten Songs and nothing else: this is the perfect little Package. Over time:I have found that with many Musical Artists/Bands from this long ago: It can be very hard to find exactly what you want .....Unless you read the Reviews and purchase what you want Online. In 2002: Rhino also issued a nice 20 song Bobby Darin CD with a 20 page Leaflet that has liner notes & photos and it is much better.

His #24 Pop Hit from 1962 "What'd I Say" & his #3 Pop Hit (also from 1962) "You're The Reason I'm Living" are both on the Rhino 20 song CD and they are not here......That's the CD to buy! When I think of Bobby Darin: I can't help but think of Sandra Dee also. Sadly: Bobby passed away in 1973 at a very young age. He was only 37 years old.

Question: Who had number 1 hits in 1959 with 'Dream Lover' and 'Mack the Knife'?
Answer: BOBBY DARIN